Dialight defines the current state of LED lighting technology with continuous innovations in light output, efficacy and reliability for their complete line of high-specification lighting fixtures specifically designed for industrial, commercial, hazardous location, transportation & infrastructure applications.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

As a leader in cold-storage service, Zero Mountain Cold Storage Warehouse boasts four state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of Arkansas. Aiming to reduce energy consumption and eliminate ongoing, costly lighting maintenance, the company recently upgraded two of its facilities to next-generation LED lighting by Dialight Corporation. As a result, the company has slashed energy consumption by more than 1 million kWh a year and saved nearly $100,000 annually, while bringing its lighting maintenance demand and cost to zero with Dialight’s ultra-high-efficiency solution that outperforms metal halide technology in the harsh environment.Installation Snapshot• Two cold storage facilities, one a former limestone mine• 571 existing metal halides replaced by 456 Dialight LED High Bays• 21% reduction in fixture count• 1.3 million kWh saved annually• Nearly $100,000 in annual energy and maintenance savings

A service-focused organization, Zero Mountain is dedicated to offering an affordable, reliable and responsive cold storage solution to food producers around the country and around the world. At current capacity, the company freezes, stores and ships roughly 2 billion pounds of frozen food and meat annually for numerous Fortune 500 companies.Its flagship Johnson Underground facility, “The Cave,” is a former limestone mine that now boasts 280,000 square feet of refrigerated and freezer space with temperatures reaching in excess of -36°F. Down the road, the Lowell Warehouse is a 7 million cubic feet behemoth with cold storage and blast freeze capabilities with the most advanced computerized systems for inventory management and distribution.The Cold, Hard Truth about Metal HalideBoth facilities relied on antiquated 400W metal halide (MH) fixtures—268 in The Cave and 303 at Lowell—that were becoming costly to operate and maintain. In addition to the excessive energy used, the lamps demanded near-constant replacement, with changeout required when fixture output dropped below 6 footcandles, rendering this tedious work a routine, monthly chore. Facility managers conservatively estimated maintenance costs to be $5,000 - $10,000 per year in manpower alone, not including the cost of the actual replacement lamps/ ballasts or any specialized equipment needed (a man lift or bucket truck).In addition to the drain on resources, the harsh environment proved to be too much for the MH fixtures to handle. Because of their slow warm-up time, made worse by the cold temperatures, the company was forced to keep the lights on 24/7. Not only were they lighting space that didn’t need to be lit 24/7, paying more for the electricity and exhausting lamp life faster as a result, but the excessive heat output from the MH lamps also forced the company’s cooling condensers to work even harder to keep the space at optimal temperature. At the Johnson Underground facility, moisture was also a major issue as the cold temperatures and frost buildup combined with significant groundwater penetration that would often seep in through the ceiling, especially after a significant rainfall.The Dialight DifferenceLooking to make an upgrade, Zero Mountain invited LED Supply Co., a local distributor of industry-leading Dialight LED products, to demonstrate the benefits of the Dialight LED High Bay solution. The Dialight product offered numerous potential advantages, including:• a significant energy savings of up to 70%,• long-life performance that would eliminate lighting maintenance for up to a decade,• improved on-the-ground footcandle output and extended lumen maintenance,• the opportunity to reduce the number of fixtures needed to light the same space,• a more durable solution that would outlast and outperform MH fixtures in the cold, damp and sometimes downright wet conditions, especially in the underground storage facility, and• the ability to add occupancy sensors, eliminating the need to keep the lights on 24/7 in areas of the facility that do not see regular traffic, particularly in the deep freeze section.At the Johnson Underground facility, the company replaced all 268 MH fixtures with new 150W Dialight LED High Bays in a 1-to-1 replacement. At Lowell, 303 MH fixtures were replaced by just 188 Dialight 150W LED High Bays for a 21% reduction in the total number of fixtures needed to light the same space. Changeout took just 15-30 minutes per fixture, using existing wiring and mounting hardware.“Our crews were impressed by how quick and easy it was to changeout each fixture, and they’re looking forward to not having to change lightbulbs all the time,” said Tony Parrish, Facility Manager at Johnson. “This will definitely free up their time to perform more critical maintenance needs that contribute to efficient facility operation.”1M kWh, $100K Saved—and GrowingBetween the immediate energy and maintenance savings, Zero Mountain has cut its total energy use by more than 1.3 million kWh and saved nearly $100,000 per year. In “The Cave” underground storage, the changeout netted an immediate 71.2 kW reduction in real-time energy use, slashing annual energy consumption by 506,730 kWh for a total savings of nearly $33,000. The results have been even more dramatic at Lowell, where the retrofit immediately lowered energy consumption by 114.31 kW, reducing total annual consumption by 814,569 kWh for nearly $53,000 energy savings per year.And, the savings will continue to grow. The addition of occupancy sensors is expected to reduce total energy consumption by an additional 30-40%, plus it’s added an unexpected, but most-welcome safety feature:“The forklift drivers like the sensors because, as the lights come on, it gives them a heads-up that other operators are in the area,” said Tony Nichols, Facility Manager at Lowell. “It’s like advanced warning system that’s turned out to be a significant advantage when working in tight quarters where visibility is limited.”In addition to the direct energy and maintenance savings from the lights, both facilities also noticed an immediate impact on the performance of their cooling compressors, which do not have to work as hard now to compensate for the high heat output of the old metal halides, for an even greater energy savings. And, at both “The Cave” and Lowell, light levels improved by nearly 100% to 18-20 fcs on average, for greater visibility and a clean, crisp, clear white light that’s easier on the eyes.Adding to the total ROI, Zero Mountain’s utility provider, Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) offered a custom rebate incentive for making the switch to LED lighting based on the substantial kWh savings, which offset approximately 30% of the total project costs, including installation.

Zero Mountain management has been so pleased with the overall performance and savings generated by retrofitting just two facilities, the company has already given the green light to upgrade its remaining Fort Smith and Russellville cold storage facilities.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Installation Snapshot• Exterior lighting at wastewater treatment facility• 82 high-pressure sodium and mercury vapor fixtures with: o 33 - Low Bays o 19 - 14K lumen High Bays o 30 - 12K lumen High Bays• Complete installation in just 5 days• Energy rate: $0.15/kWh• 12/7 lighting with photocells and timers• $5,000 rebate• ~3 year paybackThe City of Santa Cruz (Calif.) wastewater treatment facility processes an average daily flow of 10 million gallons per day, providing regional wastewater treatment and disposal for both the city and Santa Cruz County Sanitation District, including the communities of Live Oak, Capitola, Soquel and Aptos. In operation since 1928, the facility has undergone numerous expansion projects to accommodate growth in the region and now boasts a rated design capacity of 17 million gallons per day.Aiming to achieve better visibility and reduce energy consumption, the facility recently modernized its exterior area and site lighting, upgrading from high-pressure sodium (HPS) and mercury vapor (MV) fixtures to new Dialight DuroSite® LED fixtures in several areas. As a result, the plant has reduced lighting energy usage and cost by more 50 percent, significantly lowered CO2 emissions, and realized a dramatic improvement in visibility that contributes to more robust security throughout the facility. With fixtures that are expected to last more than 10 years, the project will pay for itself in just a third of that time.The ChallengeWith hundreds of fixtures to light its exterior structures 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Santa Cruz treatment facility previously used a combination of high pressure sodium units ranging from 70W to 400W and mercury vapor fixtures in 175W to 400W models. For safety and security purposes, the entire facility is under 24/7 closed-circuit television surveillance, yet the poor quality of light emitted by the antiquated fixtures hindered visibility and reduced the image clarity of the closed-circuit system. In addition, the HPS and MV fixtures required constant maintenance to change bulbs and ballasts, costing the plant both money and valuable personnel time. Not to mention, the cost of hazardous material disposal for the bulbs added to the ongoing maintenance expense and the environmental impact.The SolutionAs part of a citywide Climate Action Program to reduce energy consumption and to resolve its lighting challenges, the facility experimented with several LED lighting solutions, including one from Dialight. Impressed with the way the Dialight fixture outperformed the others, the facility ultimately chose Dialight to replace 82 fixtures in its solids dewatering building, pre-aeration and trickling filters with the company’s DuroSite LED fixtures, including 33 Low Bays specially designed for areas of low clearance, and 49 High Bays – 19 with 14,000 lumen output and 30 with 12,000 lumen output. The entire changeout took just five days—about 30-60 minutes per fixture. The 12/7 lighting was outfitted with a combination of photocells and timers, taking advantage of the Dialight LED’s instant-on capabilities.The ResultLED fixtures typically draw less than half the wattage of high pressure sodium and mercury vapor (on average). With the new fixtures, the Santa Cruz facility reduced its lighting energy usage and cost by more than 50 percent, significantly lowered its CO2 emissions and realized a dramatic improvement in visibility that contributes to more robust security throughout the facility. With each fixture expected to last up to 10 years, the retrofit has reduced lighting maintenance and costs for the next decade. A rebate was also approved through a local incentive program, based on energy savings, and the entire project will pay for itself within three years.

Available in both 32W and 64W versions (2x18W and 2x36W fluorescent equivalents) and carrying IECEx/ATEX Zone 1 certification, the 316 grade stainless steel linear LED fitting is D Shock compliant to MOD specification BR8470 to Grades C and D. Highly durable and resistant to shock, vibration and corrosion, the fitting incorporates an exclusive and replaceable integrated power supply that is guaranteed to give maintenance-free performance for at least five years and, unlike the fluorescents it replaces, will not suffer from end of life failures. Carrying a five-year unconditional continuous performance warranty, the linear LED fitting will vastly reduce dangerous and costly maintenance and Ex inspection needs in inaccessible and testing environments particularly common offshore, but also in oil and gas, power generation, chemical and pharmaceutical, water treatment and mining applications. Featuring Dialight’s signature glare-free advanced lens design allows the new linear LED to replicate exactly the current fluorescent light distribution pattern while simultaneously improving light output and dramatically reducing the impact area of the traditional polycarbonate diffuser. “Our exclusive power supplies and optics are custom-designed to optimize the performance of each fitting,” said Dialight Group Chief Executive Roy Burton. “This superior design not only delivers an extended lifetime compared to any other conventional fluorescent or LED lighting solution, but also eliminates the safety risk and expense associated with rope-access maintenance and Ex inspection in high risk environments, like an offshore platform or over production machinery.”The SafeSite LED Linear is T4 temperature rated for reliable performance from -20°C to +60°C and L70 lumen maintenance at 25°C for 100,000 hours. The units are IP66/67 (pending) rated for superior ingress protection and are sealed at the end caps, limiting the surface area compared to conventional fluorescents. Its low profile form factor also improves wind resistance while its unique elliptical profile minimizes areas where dirt or dust could accumulate.

The SafeSite LED Linear is the latest addition to Dialight’s growing portfolio of LED lighting solutions for hazardous and non-hazardous locations and is also available as part of the Dialight DuroSite® series in an industrial version. With mounting options to meet the normal demands of industry and offering loop-in and wire-through options the LED Linear is ideal for both retrofit and new installation.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Dialight's Middle East Manager, Pieter Zijlmans is featured in a two-page article in Refining & Petrochemicals, sister publication of Arabian Oil & Gas.
Turn to page 42 if you want to read the article.